JP7231211B2 - swab test kit - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a wiping test kit that can be used for cleanliness tests and the like, and that can discharge the entire amount of the internal solution from the lid of an inverted container.

Conventionally, cleanliness inspections have been performed to evaluate the cleanliness of fingers, equipment, food processing facilities, medical facilities, etc., and one of the evaluation methods is the wiping culture method. As an apparatus used in the wiping culture method, there is a container body in which a cap to which a cotton swab used for wiping is fixed is attached (Patent Documents 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5). . A diluent is stored in the container body in advance, and after wiping the surface of the specimen with a cotton swab, the specimen is sealed in the container and the diluent is stirred, so that the specimen can be prepared as a specimen solution in which the specimen is uniformly stirred in the diluent. .

In order to measure the number of bacteria such as Escherichia coli and coliform bacteria, a sample solution is cultured on a film medium, an agar medium, or the like. In order to take out the sample liquid without using a pipette, there are instruments for wiping tests in which the sample liquid is discharged from the lid of an inverted container (Patent Document 6, Patent Document 7, Patent Document 8). For example, in the wiping test kit of Patent Document 6, as shown in FIG. It is composed of an upper lid 25. A hollow cylindrical portion 24 protruding downward is formed in the center of the top wall portion 23, and both ends of the hollow cylindrical portion 24 are open. The swab shaft 4 is fixed by being inserted into the hollow tubular portion 24 . A plurality of ridges 27 extending in the axial direction are formed on the inner peripheral side of the hollow cylindrical portion 24 , and the gap formed between the inserted cotton swab shaft 4 and the ridges 27 serves as a communication path 30 . becomes. When the container is turned upside down and the cap 20 is directed downward, the sample liquid in the container is discharged from the communicating path 30 through the opening to the outside of the container.

On the other hand, gene detection methods such as RT-PCR and real-time RT-PCR are becoming popular as methods for detecting and identifying microorganisms. For example, norovirus and the like are major causative agents of acute gastroenteritis. Unlike bacteria such as Escherichia coli, viruses cannot be isolated and detected by tissue culture methods, so virus genes are detected instead of bacterial culture. In view of the toxicity of viruses, it is preferable to take out the prepared test solution from the lid of the inverted container without using a device such as a pipette.

JP-A-10-229871 JP-A-2008-32541 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-101971 JP 2011-069778 A JP 2016-70820 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-344232 JP 2013-108803 A JP 2016-050911 A

A conventional swab test instrument used for microbial culture usually contains 10 ml of diluent (Patent Document 6). The test solution used for microbial culture is 1 ml, and in order to ensure the accuracy of the test results, the test solution is duplicated, and in consideration of the preservation of the test solution remaining in the container and the ease of preparation of the sample solution, about 10 ml is preferred. On the other hand, the gene detection method is a nucleic acid amplification method in which only a specific gene sequence is amplified using nucleic acid extracted from a specimen as a material, and is characterized in that results can be obtained in a short period of time unlike microbial culture. If a conventional swab test kit is used for sample collection by the PCR method, the amount of nucleic acid contained in the sample liquid may be insufficient, making rapid testing difficult in some cases.

In addition, if the amount of diluent to be stored is reduced to 1/10, for example, 1 ml, in order to increase the sample concentration by 10 times, there arises a problem that the sample liquid cannot be discharged from the lid. For example, in the cap 20 shown in FIG. 7, when the container is turned upside down, the specimen liquid moves into a space having a top wall portion 23 as a bottom portion and a spiral outer wall portion 22 as an outer periphery. Since the diameter of the top wall portion 23 is about 20 mm and the diameter of the hollow cylindrical portion 24 is about 6 mm, the depth of 1 ml of sample liquid is about 3.5 mm. The hollow cylindrical portion 24 hangs down from the top wall portion 23 by a length of about 5 to 10 mm to fix the cotton swab shaft 4, so that the sample liquid can be introduced into the communication passage 30 in the hollow cylindrical portion 24. Therefore, it cannot be discharged out of the container through the opening.

The hollow cylindrical portion 24 fixes the cotton swab shaft 4 and requires a predetermined length for stable fixation. Therefore, in the conventional cap structure, even if the diameter of the cap is reduced, the diluent remains, and the entire amount of the contained diluent cannot be discharged.

In view of the above-mentioned current situation, an object of the present invention is to provide a wipe test kit that can discharge the entire content from the lid by inverting the container even if the content is small.

The inventors of the present invention have made a detailed study of the wipe test kit, and found that the lid portion is composed of an attachment portion to the container body, a hollow projecting portion vertically provided outside the container body, and one of the hollow projecting portions. The swab shaft can be stably fixed by inserting it into the hollow part of the hollow projecting part, and if a gap is formed in the contact part between the hollow part and the swab shaft, the swab shaft can flow through the hollow part. The inventors have found that a passage can be formed and that the entire amount of the sample liquid in the container body can be discharged from the open end through the flow passage by removing the cut piece, thereby completing the present invention.

That is, the present invention is a wiping test kit that includes a container body and a lid that is detachably attached to the container body, and to which a cotton swab shaft to be housed in the container body is fixed.
The lid portion includes a portion attached to the container body, a hollow projecting portion connected to the mounting portion and vertically extending outward from the container body, and an open end of the hollow portion of the hollow projecting portion. and
The cotton swab shaft is inserted into and fixed to the hollow portion,
The inner wall of the hollow portion and/or the outer wall of the cotton swab shaft forms a gap that communicates over the entire length of the hollow portion when the cotton swab shaft is inserted into the hollow portion. A swab test kit is provided.

Further, in the present invention, the hollow portion is composed of a hollow portion T1 having a cross-sectional area S1 and a hollow portion T2 having a cross-sectional area S2 toward the cut piece from the opening end of the hollow protruding portion, wherein the cross-sectional area S1>the above The wiping test kit is provided, characterized in that the cross-sectional area is S2.

Further, according to the present invention, the cotton swab shaft has a plurality of convex portions formed in the longitudinal direction of the shaft,
The swab test kit is characterized in that the hollow portion T1 and/or the hollow portion T2 into which the swab shaft is inserted is polymorphic in cross section.

Further, according to the present invention, the swab test kit is characterized in that the hollow portion T1 and/or the hollow portion T2 into which the swab shaft is inserted is circular in cross section or rectangular with rounded corners. It provides.

The present invention also provides the above-mentioned wipe test kit, wherein the hollow protruding portion is formed with a concave portion on the outer periphery thereof into which a bent piece can be fitted.

The present invention also provides the wipe test kit, wherein the lid has a contamination-preventing projection on the outer periphery of the cut piece.

Further, the wiping test kit is characterized in that the bottom surface of the container body is a flat plate formed with wings extending outward from the container body and can stand on its own. be.

In the swab test kit of the present invention, when the container is turned upside down, the entire amount of the specimen liquid can be discharged from the lid.

FIG. 1(A) is a front view of the swab test kit of the present invention, FIG. 1(B) is a side view, and FIG. 1(C) is a longitudinal perspective view. FIG. 2(A) is a front view of a container body and a lid portion that constitute the swab test kit, and FIG. 2(B) is a vertical cross-sectional view of them. FIG. 3(A) is a diagram for explaining the lid, FIG. 3(B) is a bottom view of the lid, and FIGS. It is a figure explaining a relationship. In addition, FIG. 3(E) is a diagram for explaining that the swab test kit is turned over after the cut piece is removed, and the specimen liquid can flow out. FIG. It is a top view of a part. FIG. 4(A) is a side view of a container body and a lid portion that constitute a swab test kit, and FIG. 4(B) is a longitudinal sectional view of the lid portion and the container body to which a cotton swab shaft is fixed. (C) is a vertical cross-sectional view of a swab test kit containing a diluent. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the lid. FIG. 6A is a front view of the swab test kit, FIG. 6B is a side view, and FIG. It is a figure explaining the inserted state. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a lid portion of a conventional swab test kit.

The present invention is a wiping test kit that includes a container body and a lid portion that is detachably attached to the container body and to which a cotton swab shaft that is housed in the container body is fixed, wherein
The lid portion includes a portion attached to the container body, a hollow projecting portion connected to the mounting portion and vertically extending outward from the container body, and an open end of the hollow portion of the hollow projecting portion. and
The cotton swab shaft is inserted into and fixed to the hollow portion,
The inner wall of the hollow portion and/or the outer wall of the cotton swab shaft forms a gap that communicates over the entire length of the hollow portion when the cotton swab shaft is inserted into the hollow portion. It is a swab test kit. The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

As an example of a preferred embodiment of the wiping test kit of the present invention, FIG. It is shown in FIG. The container body 10 has a substantially elliptical cross-sectional shape with a side surface that is slightly narrower than the front surface. The lid portion 20 can be attached to the container body 10 by fitting the attachment portion 21 of the lid portion 20 to the opening portion 1 of the container body 10 . The lid portion 20 has a hollow protruding portion 25 vertically provided outside the container body 10 and a cut piece 27 integrally with the mounting portion 21 . FIG. 1C is a longitudinal sectional perspective view of the swab test kit 100. FIG. A hollow portion 23 communicating with the container body 10 is formed in the hollow projecting portion 25 of the lid portion 20 , and the cotton swab shaft 7 having the wiping portion 8 is inserted into the hollow portion 23 . The other end of the hollow portion 23 is sealed with a cut piece 27 .

The material of the container body 10 is a soft material that can be compressed and deformed, such as high-density polyethylene or low-density polyethylene. ABS, PS, PP, or the like is suitable for the lid.

The lid portion 20 used in the present invention is characterized in that the mounting portion 21, the hollow projecting portion 25, and the cut piece 27 are integrally formed. FIG. 2(A) shows a front view of the container body 10 and the lid portion 20, and FIG. 2(B) shows a vertical sectional view of them. The shape of the mounting portion 21 can be appropriately selected according to the shape of the opening portion 1 of the container body 10 . Since the opening 1 of the container body 10 shown in FIG. 2A is cylindrical, the mounting portion 21 of the lid 20 is also cylindrical so that it can be fitted into the cylindrical shape. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when a screw thread is formed on the outer periphery of the opening 1, the corresponding screw thread may be formed on the mounting portion 21 as well. The lid portion 20 can be attached to the container body 10 by screwing the opening portion 1 and the attachment portion 21 together, and the lid portion 20 can be removed by rotating the threads in the opposite direction. The hollow protruding portion 25 has a portion facing the container body 10 side from the connecting portion with the mounting portion 21 on the condition that the hollow portion 23 is formed outside the container body 10 from the mounting portion 21 . may For example, FIG. 2B shows a mode in which eaves 22 parallel to mounting portion 21 are formed as part of hollow projecting portion 25 . Due to the eaves 22, it is possible to avoid contamination of substances from the fitted portion between the opening 1 and the mounting portion 21. FIG. Reference numeral 28a in FIG. 2(A) denotes a weight-reduction recess that is cut for the purpose of weight reduction.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the hollow protruding portion 25 is formed with a hollow portion 23 that communicates from an opening 23a on the container body 10 side to an end portion 23b on the cut piece 27 side, and the opening 23a is an open end. It communicates with the container body 10 . The hollow portion 23 has a function of fixing the cotton swab shaft 7 and a function of forming a flow path for discharging the specimen liquid in the container body 10 from the lid portion 20 . The swab shaft 7 (not shown) can be fixed to the lid portion 20 by inserting the swab shaft 7 (not shown) through the opening 23a. Therefore, the length of the hollow portion 23 should be such that the swab shaft 7 can be stably fixed. Note that the end 23b is sealed with a cut piece 27. As shown in FIG.

The hollow portion 23 may have the same diameter over the entire length, or may be composed of a hollow portion 23T1 and a hollow portion 23T2 having different cross-sectional areas, as shown in FIG. 3(A). For example, when the cross-sectional area of the hollow portion 23T1 is S1 and the cross-sectional area of the hollow portion 23T2 is S2, if the cross-sectional area S1 is greater than the cross-sectional area S2, swab shafts 7 having different thicknesses and shapes can be inserted into the hollow portion 23. Can be fixed. At this time, the lengths of the hollow portions 23T1 and 23T2 are each set to a length that allows the cotton swab shaft 7 to be stably fixed.

Between the inner wall of the hollow portion 23 and the outer wall of the cotton swab shaft 7 , a gap 24 is formed that communicates the entire length of the hollow portion 23 when the cotton swab shaft 7 is inserted into the hollow portion 23 . This gap 24 serves as a flow path for the sample liquid. An example of the bottom view of the cover part 20 is shown in FIG.3(B). The lid portion 20 has a square hollow portion 23T2 in the center and a square hollow portion 23T1 formed with rounded corners around the outer periphery of the hollow portion 23T2. FIG. 3(C) is a lateral cross-sectional view of the cylindrical cotton swab shaft 7 fixed to the hollow portion 23T2, and FIG. Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a polymorphic swab shaft 7; As shown in FIG. 3(D), when the polymorphic cotton swab shaft 7 is inserted into the rectangular hollow portion 23T1 formed with rounded corners, the four concave portions 7a of the cotton swab shaft 7 are formed into a gap 24 extending over the entire length of the hollow portion 23. As shown in FIG. , that is, a flow path. Moreover, since the contact surface between the hollow portion 23T1 and the cotton swab shaft 7 is large, the cotton swab shaft 7 can be stably fixed. If a cylindrical cotton swab shaft 7 (see FIG. 3C) is inserted into a rectangular hollow portion 23T1 formed with rounded corners, the corners of the square form a gap 24, and the hollow portion 23 extends over the entire length. A gap 24 can be formed. The above is an example. The inner walls of the hollow portions 23T1 and 23T2 and the outer circumference of the cotton swab shaft 7 may both be textured to fix the cotton swab shaft 7 and secure the flow path by forming the gap 24 at the same time.

An end portion 23b of the hollow portion 23 is sealed with a cut-off piece 27 (see FIG. 3(A)). When the cut piece 27 is gripped and stress is applied, the cut piece 27 can be cut off, releasing the sealed end of the hollow portion 23T2 and opening the end portion 23b. After the cut piece 27 is removed, the wipe test kit 100 is turned over so that the lid portion 20 faces downward. 3, is introduced into the hollow portion 23 through the opening 23a of the hollow protruding portion 25, passes through the gap 24 formed in the hollow portion 23, and is discharged from the open end portion 23b (FIG. 3(E)). FIG. 3F shows a plan view of the lid portion 20 with the cut piece 27 removed. An end portion 23b is opened in the center of the hollow projecting portion 25. As shown in FIG.

FIG. 4A shows a side view of the container body 10 and the lid portion 20. As shown in FIG. An elliptical recess 3 extending in the longitudinal direction of the container body 10 is formed substantially in the center of the container body 10, and a plurality of ridges 2 parallel to the width direction of the container body 10 are formed in the recess 3. 10 can be easily pressed. 4B shows a longitudinal sectional view of the container main body 10 and a longitudinal sectional view of the lid portion 20 in which the swab shaft 7 is inserted into the hollow portion 23T2, and FIG. (B) shows a vertical cross-sectional view of the swab test kit 100. FIG. The swab shaft 7 is inserted and fixed in the hollow portion 23T2. When wiping the subject with the wiping part 8 , the amount of the diluent 4 with which the wiping part 8 is impregnated can be adjusted by pressing the concave part 3 . A gap 24 is formed between the inner wall of the hollow portion 23T2 and the swab shaft 7, and the gap 24 communicates from the opening 23a to the end portion 23b. When the cut piece 27 is cut off, the end 23b of the hollow portion 23T2 is opened, and the entire amount of the diluent 4 can be discharged.

The shape of the outer circumference of the hollow projecting portion 25 of the lid portion 20 is not particularly limited as long as it has the hollow portion 23 . FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of an example of the lid portion 20. As shown in FIG. Reference numeral 28a denotes a recess for weight reduction, reference numeral 28b denotes a fitting recess for fitting and cutting off the cut piece 27 of another wipe test kit 100, and reference numeral 27a denotes a contamination prevention for preventing contamination. It is a projection for use. It is preferable that the fitting recess 28b has a substantially elliptical shape extending from the vicinity of the cut piece 27 to the vicinity of the mounting portion 21. As shown in FIG. FIG. 6A shows a front view of the swab test kit 100, FIG. 6B shows a side view, and FIG. It shows a state in which the cut piece 27 of the other wipe test kit 100 is inserted into the fitting concave portion 28b of one wipe test kit 100, facing each other at an angle. When one cut piece 27 is fixed by the other fitting concave portion 28b and bent, the cut piece 27 can be easily cut off. The fitting recess 28b can be used as a mechanism for easily separating such a cut piece 27. As shown in FIG. At this time, if the contamination-preventing projection 27a exists, a gap having the height of the contamination-preventing projection 27a is formed between the end portion 23b and the cut piece 27 to be excised. Since the opened end portion 23b does not come into contact with any part of the other wipe test kit 100, it is possible to prevent contamination of microorganisms from the end portion 23b.

As for the outer shape of the swab test kit 100, for example, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the width of the front surface of the container body 10 is longer than the width of the side surface, and the cross section thereof is substantially elliptical. . On the other hand, the bottom portion 5 of the container body is not limited to an elliptical shape, and may be disc-shaped with wings 6 protruding from the container body 10 . Accordingly, when the bottom portion 5 is placed on a desk, the wipe test kit 100 can stand on its own.

The cotton swab used in the swab test kit 100 should just be able to form the gap 24 in the swab shaft 7, and conventionally known conditions can be used. For example, as the material, a flexible resin or the like that does not easily break even if force is applied during wiping is preferably used. Similarly, the shape and material of the wiping portion 8 can also be appropriately selected according to the wiping portion and the analysis method of the sample liquid. Therefore, the shape may be spherical or plate-like, provided that it can be accommodated in the container body 10 . The material of the wiping portion 8 may be natural material such as cotton, synthetic resin such as polyester or polyamide, or glass wool. These materials may be fibrous, spongy, or arbitrarily selected. In particular, when the sample liquid is analyzed by the PCR method, it is preferable that the nucleic acid derived from the wiping part 8 is not contained. If the wiping portion 8 is made of synthetic resin, it is preferable to fix the wiping portion 8 to the cotton swab shaft 7 via heat welding, a synthetic resin adhesive, or the like.

A predetermined amount of the diluent 4 can be stored in advance in the container body 10 . The type of the diluent 4 can be selected according to the purpose of use of the swab test kit, and examples thereof include purified water, physiological saline, phosphate buffered physiological saline, and buffered peptone water. The amount of diluted liquid is preferably 0.5 to 3 ml, more preferably 1 to 2 ml, when discharged from the swab test kit 100 . Since the swab test kit 100 of the present invention can discharge the entire amount of the diluent 4, it is possible to reduce the amount of the diluent and prepare a high-concentration sample liquid.

Examples of wiping samples include wiping samples collected from food factories, beverage factories, semiconductor manufacturing factories, and other environments, as well as pet and livestock feed, pharmaceuticals, soil, water and sewage, biological tissue, and biological waste. It may be a sample or the like obtained by contacting.

The swab test kit 100 of the present invention can be used to detect food poisoning bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella by a culture method using a swab sample. More preferably, it is detection by a gene detection method, which is characterized by extracting nucleic acids such as DNA or RNA from a swab sample and amplifying the nucleic acids by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). For example, PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) to amplify specific nucleic acids such as norovirus and rotavirus, real-time PCR device, RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription-PCR), RT-LAMP (Reverse Transcription-Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification), etc. can be used to detect food poisoning viruses. In addition, an antigen detection method (ELISA method, BLEIA method, immunochromatography method) using the antibody of the virus to be detected can be introduced to detect the virus causing food poisoning by an immunological method. Since the swab test kit 100 of the present invention can prepare a high-concentration sample liquid, it is possible to obtain detection results in a short period of time by a genetic test method or an immunological method.

Furthermore, the swab test kit 100 of the present invention can also be used for an ATP swab test. Since all organisms contain ATP (adenosine triphosphate), ATP is extracted from the wiping sample, light is emitted with a predetermined reagent, the amount of light emitted (Relative Light Unit; RLU) is measured, and the wiping surface is contaminated. is a method of evaluating Since the amount of luminescence is proportional to the amount of biomass on the surface to be wiped, the amount of luminescence can be monitored for hygiene control.

The use of the swab test kit 100 of the present invention is not limited to the cleanliness test. For example, when a swab sample is evaluated by a genetic test method, if the nucleic acid amplified by PCR is changed to an allergen such as wheat, buckwheat, groundnut, shrimp, or crab, it can be used for allergen testing.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The swab test kit of the present invention is useful because it enables simple and rapid microbiological tests.

1 ... opening,
4... diluent,
5 ... bottom part,
7 ... Cotton swab shaft,
8 ... wiping part,
10 Container body,
20 Lid part,
21... Applied part,
23, 23T1, 23T2... Hollow part,
24 Gap,
25 ... Hollow protruding part,
27 ... cut pieces,
27a... Contamination prevention projection,
28a... Recess for weight reduction,
28b ... fitting recess,
100: Wiping test kit

Claims (6)

A wiping test kit including a container body and a lid portion that is detachably attached to the container body and to which a cotton swab shaft housed in the container body is fixed,
The lid portion includes a portion attached to the container body, a hollow projecting portion connected to the mounting portion and vertically extending outward from the container body, and an open end of the hollow portion of the hollow projecting portion. and
The cotton swab shaft is inserted into and fixed to the hollow portion,
The inner wall of the hollow portion and/or the outer wall of the swab shaft form a gap that communicates over the entire length of the hollow portion when the swab shaft is inserted into the hollow portion ,
The wiping test kit , wherein the hollow protruding portion has a concave portion formed on an outer periphery thereof into which the bent piece can be fitted . A wiping test kit including a container body and a lid portion that is detachably attached to the container body and to which a cotton swab shaft housed in the container body is fixed,
The lid portion includes a portion attached to the container body, a hollow projecting portion connected to the mounting portion and vertically extending outward from the container body, and an open end of the hollow portion of the hollow projecting portion. and
The cotton swab shaft is inserted into and fixed to the hollow portion,
The inner wall of the hollow portion and/or the outer wall of the swab shaft form a gap that communicates over the entire length of the hollow portion when the swab shaft is inserted into the hollow portion,
The lid has a contamination-preventing projection provided on the outer periphery of the cut piece at the open end,
The contamination-preventing protrusions prevent microorganisms from adhering due to contact with the open end, thereby preventing contamination of the liquid contained in the container body when the liquid is discharged from the open end. A wipe test kit characterized by: The hollow portion is composed of a hollow portion T1 having a cross-sectional area S1 and a hollow portion T2 having a cross-sectional area S2 toward the cut piece from the open end of the hollow protruding portion, where the cross-sectional area S1>the cross-sectional area S2. The swab test kit according to claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that: The cotton swab shaft has a plurality of convex portions formed in the longitudinal direction of the shaft,
4. The swab test kit according to claim 3 , wherein said hollow portion T1 and/or said hollow portion T2 into which said swab shaft is inserted is polymorphic in cross section. 4. The swab test kit according to claim 3 , wherein said hollow portion T1 and/or said hollow portion T2 into which said swab shaft is inserted is circular in cross section or square with rounded corners. The wiper according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the bottom portion of the container body is a flat plate formed with wings extending outward from the container body and can stand on its own. test kit.

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